Die eiendom is groot.

Here, die is the Afrikaans definite article, so it corresponds to English the.

A useful thing for English speakers to know is that Afrikaans uses die for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns
• all grammatical genders

So unlike languages such as German, you do not have to learn different forms like the for masculine/feminine/neuter nouns.

This is the normal basic word order for a simple statement in Afrikaans:

subject + verb + complement

So in this sentence:

• Die eiendom = the subject
• is = the verb
• groot = the complement describing the subject

That is very similar to English:

• The property
  • is
    • big

Eiendom often means property, especially in the sense of real estate, land, or a building/site.

Depending on context, it can also relate to the broader idea of ownership or possessions. So it is a useful word, but its exact meaning depends on the situation.

In this sentence, it most naturally refers to a property.

It is singular here.

If you wanted the plural, you would usually say eiendomme.

So:

• die eiendom = the property
• die eiendomme = the properties

Is is the present-tense form of to be.

One nice feature of Afrikaans is that verbs usually change much less than in English. In the present tense, is stays is with all persons:

• Ek is = I am
• Jy is = you are
• Hy/Sy is = he/she is
• Ons is = we are
• Hulle is = they are

So yes, is does the job of English am / is / are in the present tense.

Because it is describing the subject after the linking verb is.

This is the same pattern as English:

• The property is big
• Die eiendom is groot

So groot is not being used directly before the noun here; it is being used after is to say what the property is like.

Yes, but that means something slightly different.

• Die eiendom is groot = The property is big.
• Die groot eiendom = The big property.

So:

• In Die eiendom is groot, you have a full sentence.
• In die groot eiendom, you just have a noun phrase.

That is the same difference as English the property is big versus the big property.

Because it is being used after is as a predicate adjective.

In this kind of sentence, Afrikaans adjectives commonly stay in their basic form:

• Die huis is groot
• Die kamer is klein
• Die eiendom is groot

For an English speaker, the main thing to remember is: after is, the adjective is usually just the plain dictionary form.

A rough guide for an English speaker would be:

dee AY-en-dom is khroht

A few notes:

• die sounds roughly like dee
• ei in eiendom sounds like ay
• g in groot is the guttural Afrikaans g, not the English g in go
• oo in groot is a long vowel, somewhat like the vowel in more for some speakers, though not exactly the same

The hardest sound for most English speakers is the Afrikaans g. It is made further back in the mouth, similar to the ch in Scottish loch or German Bach.

It is capitalized only because it is the first word of the sentence.

Afrikaans does not capitalize all nouns the way German does. So:

• Die eiendom is groot.
• Die huis is oud.

Only the first word of the sentence and proper names are capitalized in normal writing.